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Benefits And Risks Of International Hiring

April 6, 2018

With a growing trend of global and cross-cultural business environments, a need to fill skills-gap and increasing a company’s talent pool; it has become essential for organizations to hire cross state borders and even internationally.

International hiring is a key feature of a global expansion of businesses globalisation. Whether a company is hiring locals of a particular country to work remotely or bringing foreign nationals to its home country, companies need to follow the best practices, abide by rules and regulations and be careful with each and every step in following stringent procedures. As more companies focus on quality of hires they bring on from across the board, it is important to understand the risks and benefits of hiring internationally.

Benefits

Increased talent pool: Companies can tap into a larger talent pool of highly efficient, competent, motivated and dedicated employees in different parts of the world. Hiring talent from a larger region has added benefits for the company.

Cross-cultural workplace: Every country and market has its own work culture. By hiring internationally from a country or region where the job is not based, companies get the advantage of adding diversity, knowledge and experience. This helps companies perform better in unknown or new regions.

Competitive advantage: Global markets function in fierce competition. Having a competent team of employees who are capable of executing the company’s goals is important. It is often not possible to find the right talent within the country and that’s when companies need to scout internationally.

Risks

Legal risks: Every country has different laws pertaining to work and labor. While hiring internationally, companies have to know about a particular country’s legal requirements for visas and work permits. Not only do they need to know about regulations of payroll, benefits but also the terminations and leave structures. One of the biggest challenges that organizations face is maintaining compliance with the rules and regulations of other countries. If companies fail to follow these rules, they could face legal actions.

Complicated procedure: Hiring internationally isn’t only about finding the right talent and making sure the employee is suitable and trustworthy. Finding the right employee is only half the task. The other half of the task involves completing the correct procedures as per the government rules and regulations.

Burn out and attrition: Studies have shown that expats usually have a high burnout rate. This is especially true for those in high stress and demanding jobs. In cases where employees are hired internationally, companies often face the challenge of retaining employees. It is difficult to keep the employees motivated and engaged to retain them. Companies risk their investment of time, money and energy when internationally hired employees quit.

Termination: Each country has specific laws relating to terminating an employee’s contract and it is not easy to terminate contracts. For example, an employee’s performance might not be satisfactory and the company decides to terminate the contract or the company decides to shut shop and stop operations in the specific country abruptly. The company will have to follow rules and regulations and comply with the procedures before terminating the employee’s contract.

What should companies do to hire internationally?

It is practically impossible for companies to deal with and manage international hiring with in-house expertise. Companies need to avail of services of other relevant companies. You can mitigate some of your risks by conducting a thorough background verification for the candidate you plan to hire. FactSuite’s experience and understanding in international hiring and background verification can help you achieve this goal.

How does background verification for international hiring help?

Hiring internationally is not only expensive; it is risky and consumes time and energy. FactSuite helps companies minimize risks by conducting background verification for the candidates. We help you verify the identity, education, previous employment, criminal and much more. All the checks will help you minimize your risk and ensure you have an ethical workforce.